Switch-operating mechanism.



No. s5|,5s4. Patented Jun I2, I900. a. B. counsv.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM;

(Application filed. Apr. 4, 1900.)

(No Model.)

HHI' IH IHI I II II III III fi wm ma Z a. w M mwfi NITED STATES PATENT m s,

GEORGE SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,564, dated June 1 1900- Application filed 1 mm, 1900.

T0 at Iii/tom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. CONREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to switch-operating mechanism for cars, and is designed more particularly for use upon street-cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a positive switching-machine under convenient control of the mot-orman that shall open a norvers 3, each lever being curved mally-closed switch upon the main line to switch the car to a branch line, t-his'operatiou to be performed automatically, with the car moving at any desired speed.

A further object is to accomplish this result with the car goingin either direction and with branch lines diverging from the main track upon either side.

A v further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive mechanismof few parts and inexpensive construction and that shall be adaptable to cars of present construction.)

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a car, showing the switching mechanism as applied to one side of a car. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the cable and bell-cranklevers connected therewith for operating the switch-lever. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the main and branch tracks, showing the switch-point, the spring for automatically closing the switch to pro- Vide for a continuous main line, and the supplemental bar and its connection with the switch-point, whereby the switch-point is actuated to close the main line and open the branch line when the switch-lever contacts therewith. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bell-crank lever and the switch-operating lever, this View also showing the connection of cable with the bell-crank lever.

As the mechanism is the same on both sides of the car, I have deemed it sufficient to illustrate and describe the arrangement upon one side of the car only.

1 designates the car, upon the under side of which are secured, upon each side of the front and rear axle, respectively, hangers 2,

upon which are pivotally secured switch-lesenn rt. 11,423. (No modelfrom its pivotal point 4 and having a recessed lower end 5 to receive the tongue 6 of an oppositelys curved lever 7, the upper end of lever 7 having a slot 8, through which is passed a pin 9, project-iugfrom a hanger 10,also secured upon the bottom of the car. The lower curved ends of levers 3 and 7 are secured together pivotally by-means of a pin l1,which passes through the jaws of the recess and the tongue, respectively. Y

12 designates a bell-crank lever,- one being arranged at each end of the car, upon the under side thereof, and pivotally secured by a bolt 13, so that the lever may move horizontally'upon the bottom of the car. The inner end of the bell-crank lever is bifurcated at 14 to receive a grooved idler-wheel 15,secured by a pin 16, the opposite end 17 being passed through a slot 18, formed in the upper end of switch-lever 3, whereby when the bell-crank lever 12 is moved to urge the inner end toward the front of the car the end 17 will move the upper end of the switch-lever 3 in an opposite direction ,and thereby depress the lower end of the lever, and by the articulation with lever 7 depress said lever coincidently.

Bell-crank levers 12 are actuated by means of a cable, chain, or rope 19, secured at each end to foot-levers 20, pivoted at the front and rear end of the ear, respectively, and angled to put the cable'in tension when depressed. In practicel prefer to employ a cable, to which are connected centrally of its length threaded rods 21, ,upon which to run a turnbuckle 22, by which to adjust to the proper tension cable 19, which is reeved around grooved pulleys 23, secured upon the bottom of the carat proper distances apart to allow the cable to loop in its passage around the grooved wheel 15 in the inner end of the bell-crank lever.

By the arrangement described when one of the foot-levers is depressed it puts the cable into tension by reason of its pulling against the opposite foot-lever, and thereby swings the bell-crank levers at both ends of the car upon their pivots, thereby depressing levers 3 and 7 to operate sure is relieved from the foot-lever, the switchlevers 3 are immediately raised by being swung in a reverse direction upon their pivots by means of a spiral spring 24, connected the switch. When pres-' slot 8 allowing a movement to the diverging and at the opposite of the bell-crank leat one end with the car end to the outer end 17 ver, said spring having been put in tension by the action of the cable. This movement of the switch-levers 3 also raises the levers 7,

upon pin 9.

25 designates the rail of the main track, and 26 the diverging track, the switch-point 27 being pivotally connected in the usual manner.

To the under side of the switch-point is connected a plate 28, and to said plate is pivotally connected a bar 29, which extends at a slight angle to the rail some distance forward of the switch-point and is pivotally secured to one of the cross-ties, whereby when the car approaches the switch the motorman by depressing the foot-lever throws the switch-1evers down in position to contact with bar29, and thereby throws the point of the switchpoint to open the switch from the main line line, pressure being relieved from the foot-lever as soon as the car has passed, and the switch-levers return to their raised positions by the action of springs 24:.

In order to firmly secure foot-lever 20 in position to resist a pull from the front lever and to guard against the possibility of a passenger upon the rear platform accidentally or otherwise moving the lever forward, I may provide a cuneal lock 34, which when dropped into the slot in the platform securely locks the lever.

In order to always maintain an open main line, the switch-point is returned to its original position as soon as the car has passed by means of a spring 30, hearing at one end against a plate 31, secured upon one of the cross-ties, and at its opposite end against the end of bar 29, pivoted at 33, the spring being coiled around a rod 32, secured at one end in ,bar 29, the opposite end passing through a perforation in plate 31. It will be seen that by this arrangement the car can travel in either direction and the switch mechanism be operated from either end of the car by simply depressing the foot-lever upon the front end of the car and that the mechanism is of convenient attachment to the car without great expense by reason of the simplicity of its parts.

The arrangement described is adaptable for cars of ordinary length, in which the aggregate length of the bar 29 and the switch-point 27 is sufficient to span the distance intervening between the wheel of the forward truck and the switch-levers upon the rear truck, so that the rear switch-lever contacts with bar 29 to hold the switch-point open for the passage of the wheels of the rear truck before the spring 30 has closed the switch. It will be apparent that in cars of extraordinary cured in the length, in which the trucks are separated more than a usual distance apart, the bar 29 may be of greater length than that of the cars of ordinary length, or, if necessary, the rear Wheel of the forward truck and the front wheel of the rear truck may be equipped with the oppositely-curved switch-levers in the same manner as heretofore described and operated by duplicated bell-crank levers 12, a simple duplication of the mechanism, as will be readily understood.

What I claim is- 1. In a switch-operating mechanism, oppositely-curved switch-levers pivotally connected at their free ends, one of the lovers being centrally pivoted, a foot-lever upon each end of the car, a cable connecting the two, and mechanism connected with the cable and switch-levers, to move the same upon their pivots to depress the curved ends.

2. In a switch-operating mechanism, a plurality of switch-levers arranged in parallel relation with the car-wheels and pivoted intermediate their lengths, horizontally-arranged bell-crank levers pivotallyconnected with the car, foot-levers upon each end of the car, connections with the foot-levers and bell-crank levers,to move the same upon their pivots and connections with the bell-crank levers and switch-levers.

3. In as'witch-operating mechanism in combination with a car, hangers depending therefrom, a curved switch-lever pivotally suspended upon one of the hangers a curved lever pivotally connected with the switch-lever and movably connected with the opposite hanger, and means for moving the switch-lever upon its pivot upon the hanger, and the curved lever vertically upon the opposite hanger.

4. Inaswitch-operating mechanism, in combination with a car, hangers depending therefrom, a curved switch-lever pivotally suspended upon one of the hangers, a curved lever pivotally connected with the switch-lever and having a slot in its upper end, a pin seopposite hanger and passing through the slot, a bell-crank lever, pivoted to move at right angles to the switch-lever, and connected with the upper end thereof, and means for swinging the bell-crank lever upon its pivot, and thereby the switch-lever pivotally, and the curved lever vertically.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. CON REY. Witnesses:

WILLIAM WEBSTER, SAMUEL CHEs'rNU'r. 

